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Post by goggles on Dec 28, 2009 0:18:56 GMT
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Post by Cathy on Dec 28, 2009 7:41:11 GMT
Awe, page cannot be found came up for me  |
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Post by goggles on Dec 28, 2009 11:36:39 GMT
Here ya go darlin  MOST nights dinner time at foster mother Jenny Piemontese's house is a four-hour job.
So it is hard to imagine the effort that goes into Christmas each year.
However, thanks to Australian rock legends INXS, this will be the last Christmas Day Mrs Piemontese has to wash piles of dirty dishes by hand.
The band performed at last month's first Pride of Australia award ceremony in Sydney, where Mrs Piemontese received the Care and Compassion medal. And they were so impressed with her they decided to give her a dishwasher.
The national award recognised her work with foster children and as a Lifeline counsellor, as well as helping the housebound and elderly.
Mrs Piemontese never expected to win, so she did not have a speech prepared.
"I just said it is so lovely to be here having a meal and not having to clean up," Mrs Piemontese said yesterday.
INXS were blown away by the fact the hardworking Hobart mum did not have a dishwasher to make it easier to feed her own big family and up to three foster children each night.
They called Mrs Piemontese, 44, over to their table and offered to buy her one.
She and her husband considered it a lovely thought but did not take it too seriously until a letter from Miele arrived this week saying her new dishwasher was on its way.
"I just think they're fantastic," Mrs Piemontese said of the band.
"They're not going to sell any albums out of this, it was absolutely just goodwill."
Mercury managing director Rex Gardner has offered to pay for the dishwasher to be installed.
"I'm feeling very spoilt," Mrs Piemontese said.
With up to 10 mouths to feed each night Mrs Piemontese never considered buying such a "'luxury" for herself.
But she said it would make a major difference.
"The kids are all different ages so it's lots of different meals,"she said.
"We start off early about 4.30pm and we finish late, between 7-8pm."
Mrs Piemontese started fostering children when she had her fourth child.
She says her door is open 24 hours a day for children needing an emergency placement.
She cares for all ages, including babies suffering drug withdrawal.
Mrs Piemontese said she hoped Christmas would prompt other potential foster carers to consider taking on the task.
"We need respite carers to help out if ever I'm sick, and of course short-term carers," she said.
Mrs Piemontese said she hoped eventually to get a people-mover to allow her to take on even more children. |
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Post by Cathy on Dec 29, 2009 7:16:21 GMT
Awe, thanks goggles for writing it out for us! What a nice story indeed!  |
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Post by goggles on Dec 29, 2009 8:21:51 GMT
Oh, I just copied and pasted! It is a good story |
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Post by Aussie on Jan 2, 2010 6:16:57 GMT
A very good story. Im sure theres plenty of things the band does on the quiet that we all dont know of. Thanks for posting it goggles. Aussie |
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